Blood on the Moon
by WitchGirl
Summary: Beth and Roxanne are your ordinary every day girls... right? If you thought that you thought wrong. Bringing back an old friend, these two have a deadly plan instore for John Carter and Dave Malucci (Chapter 6 up now)
1. Beth and Roxanne

Blood on the Moon  
  
Summary: There's something about those two women that hang around the hospital so much. But what is it they want? Only the third girl objects to their appalling plan they have in store for John Carter and Dave Malucci.  
A/N: This is a very strange fic so don't say I didn't warn you!  
  
"The nurses can do that," Romano told her. Kerry just acknowledged the fact, but still covered the still body. No sooner had they left did two others enter; a woman with long brown hair and another with short red hair.  
"Which one is it?" asked the brunette, "There are dozens of bodies here! How are we going to find the right one?"  
"We'll find her. He did say she was female, that narrows it down," the redhead answered, with an accent.  
"Yeah, by fifty percent!"  
"Shut up, Beth!" the redhead snapped, "We'll find her! You think every corpse will have two deep incisions on the neck?"  
"Don't talk to me like that! I'm older than you, you know, I have more experience!" Beth retorted, "In fact, I bet I'll find her before you do."  
"I don't make bets. Listen, you take that side of the room, I'll take this side." The redhead told her. As Beth checked the bodies, she looked towards her companion.  
"Roxanne," she called.  
"Hm?"  
"He said she would be powerful. You think she'd exceed our power?"  
"That's not our concern," Roxanne answered.  
"Of course," Beth turned back to the bodies, "I mean, females are always inferior to dark males back in Ireland."  
"Shut your mouth!" Roxanne shouted.  
"Sh!" Beth warned, "They may hear us!"  
"Why did we have to come to America anyway?" Roxanne complained, "We were doing well in France! I like the French blood."  
"Marie will be happy to hear that," Beth smiled. Roxanne shuttered.  
"I hate her so much!" Roxanne answered, "Don't bring her up."  
"OK, OK," Beth muttered. As she pulled the sheet away from a corpse's face, she checked the female's neck, "Ah ha!" she declared, "I told you I'd find her first!" Roxanne came running over and saw the two deep holes in her neck..  
"I'm surprised they didn't clean it up," Beth said, "I mean, they'd have to notice it, right?"  
"Maybe not. Paul did a great job slicing her up; they were probably too busy with her other injuries to notice. I just hope she heals soon. All those cuts doesn't make her too attractive," Roxanne replied. Beth looked up at Roxanne.  
"And the other one? What about him?"  
"What other one?"  
"The other one the Master wanted. The other powerful one. Where is he?"  
"I haven't heard of another. All I know is this one," Roxanne looked at the pale face, "Come on, before they catch us!" Roxanne threw the corpse's arm over her shoulder. As she pulled her black cloak tightly around her, she grinned at Beth.  
"Come on!" and with that, she jumped out the window.  
  
Two Years Later  
  
"Has anyone seen Dave?" Carter demanded, annoyed. Dave had slipped through his fingers. Again.  
"Why do you need him so badly?" Jerry asked as he downloaded something onto the computer.  
"I need to talk to him," Carter answered, grasping the letter so tightly it wrinkled in his palm.  
"I think he's in exam two with some girls," Jerry told him. Carter rolled his eyes.  
"Of course," he sighed and went off to find him.  
  
"You're so strong," she giggled, feeling Dave's muscles.  
"Well..." Dave said, smiling at the brown-haired girl.  
"Beth, we have work to do!" The Irish woman exclaimed.  
"In a minute, Roxie, I just want to spend a little more time with Dave," Beth grinned  
"Beth!" Roxanne's voice was harsh and cold.  
"Relax, Roxanne," Dave told her.  
"Yeah, have a little fun for once, Roxie!" Beth agreed.  
"Dave!" Carter came in the door. Roxanne stared as did Beth. Beth looked at Roxanne, who nodded, knowing what Beth was thinking.  
"It's him," Beth mouthed.  
"Carter!" Dave shouted back at the man.  
"Dave, could I talk to you for a minute?"  
"Why not?" Dave sighed and reluctantly stood up and followed Carter out.  
"Dave, this is for you," Carter shoved the paper into his hand. Dave read it through.  
"Awe, how sweet, Carter, did you write me this?" Dave asked.  
"No, Dave," Carter took the paper back, "I found it."  
"Where?"  
"In an exam room."  
"So I have a secret admirer?"  
"I don't think you read it right," Carter told him.  
"It's just a poem, Carter!" Dave told him.  
"Blood on the moon  
Death in sight  
Darkness will reign  
Over light  
Destroy this young one  
Malucci his name  
Let him burn  
The eternal flame," Carter whispered Dave the poem.  
"Carter, what do you want me to say? You think someone wants to kill me?" Dave laughed, "Look, it was probably some joke someone pulled. Glad to see you're concerned about me, Carter, but they're words on paper! It's meaningless!"  
"Sure, Dave, sure," Carter sighed and walked away.  
  
"You did what?" Eyes wide, the newest addition to the clique stared.  
"What?" Beth asked, innocently. Roxanne hit her.  
"We just want something tender and sweet. He's all of those things!" Roxanne told her.  
"Look, I know you're hungry. But the Master says he will bring you something soon!"  
"You want us to wait to be fed like helpless puppies? We can feed ourselves!" Roxanne protested.  
"On one of my friends?" She shook her head, "You guys are unbelievable!"  
"Listen," Beth said, seriously, "He isn't your friend anymore. You have to understand that. You are one of us. You will watch him grow old while you stay young!"  
"Yes, but I can't let you feed on him!"  
"Why not? He's just a mortal," Roxanne shrugged.  
"Maybe, but he... well," she didn't know how to protest or protect her old friend. Vampires have to eat.  
"Come on, just a little taste?" Beth begged.  
"Uh Oh," Roxanne said.  
"What?"  
"He wants to speak with us."  
  
The assembled stood in a line before their master, mostly female, but some males. Their Master walked up and down the line, stopping every now and then. He stopped in front of the blond who had been speaking to Beth and Roxanne earlier. He smiled.  
"Ah, yes. My newest child," he whispered. She grinned, "I believe you were bitten by one who is not with us now," she nodded, "Yes, Paul, he has been put in an institution. Maybe one day he shall return to us and see the wonderful creation he has made. Lucy Knight," he walked up towards what looked like an altar. It had a young girl on it, as though sleeping, tossing her head wearily.  
"Come, my child," the dark leader motioned for the young one to come towards him. Lucy looked at him, admiringly. His sleek black hair was slightly long, but tamed with gel and his dark eyes seemed to penetrate her soul. As if he could see right through her. As if he could read her mind. She approached him.  
"Yes?"  
"Drink," he smiled. Lucy heard a small gasp of jealousy from Roxanne. She looked behind her and saw Beth jab her in the ribs with her elbow. Lucy swooped upon the girl, much like a falcon on her prey and bit into the warm flesh of the neck. With pleasure, she drank. The salty, warm liquid gave her life. It refreshed her. She tasted it on her tongue, the metallic taste that was greatly welcomed. She gulped down the life-giving liquid like a thirsty dog on a hot day. She felt it go down her throat and it seemed to warm her. When she stood up, she saw the girl was pale. Had Lucy drunk too much? It didn't matter, she was nothing, a mortal. Fangs still bared, she turned to her master, her father.  
"Thank you," she whispered. The girl stirred. Lucy waved her hand over the girl's face.  
"Forget," she whispered. She won't remember. They seldom do.  
"Maurice, Christine!" the Master snapped his fingers and two vampires appeared, "Take the girl home. No one will see you," when Christine and Maurice left, the Master told everyone to leave.  
"Roxanne, Beth, come to me," the Master called, Roxanne turned her head.  
"Damn," she whispered, "He wants to know about the final one," she bit her lip and grasped Beth's hand.  
"My children," he whispered, "What of the other?"  
"We have found him!" Beth declared and Roxanne kicked her, "Owe!"  
"What she means, Master, is that we think we may know who you are looking for," Roxanne cleared it up.  
"Yes. There was a mistake. He should have been with us already, but you and Paul had to screw it up!"  
"We apologize. The injuries must not have been sufficient."  
"Who is her sire," the Master asked, turning from them. Roxanne and Beth looked confused.  
"We thought..."  
"He only used a knife, not his teeth. Now tell me, who is her sire?" Roxanne looked at Beth, who looked back at Roxanne.  
"Sir, we don't know. It wasn't me," Beth answered.  
"Nor I," Roxanne added. The Master sighed.  
"She must not know of this," he said, "She must believe that Paul is her sire until we can find otherwise," the girls nodded, "Now, about the final one. How is he?"  
"Healthy," Beth answered.  
"Strong," Roxanne added.  
"Smart," Beth nodded.  
"Good," the Master smiled, "Bring him to me."  
"Sir, who is to be his sire?"  
"The Young One. The Powerful One. Lucy is to be his sire."  
  
  
  
AN: I wanted to get your oppinion before I add any more. You want me to continue? Review! 


	2. Be Careful When You Sleep

She drank more than usual. She drank more than she had ever drunk before. The sweet liquid was so warm and welcoming, it filled her every need. She gulped it down as her teeth were stuck into the flesh of someone's body. Finally, she rose again and tossed her blond hair away. She let the body drop to the ground. She had drunk more than she should have. He was dead, she had sucked him dry. But she gasped when she saw who it was, her fangs disappearing as she kneeled down to the body and felt a tear in her eye.  
"No!" Lucy screamed, holding up the man's head. She looked out the window. There was a small tinge of red on the edge of the moon.  
"Blood on the moon," came an Irish voice. Lucy turned to Roxanne in the doorway. Beth appeared beside her.  
"Death in sight," she added. Lucy's eyes were filled with terror as she looked at her friends, then back to the body.  
"I'm only disappointed that you didn't leave us any," Roxanne sighed. Lucy cradled the man in her arms.  
"No," she whispered, "He will never become one of us!" and she held her hands, palm down, hovering over the body. Suddenly, a flame began to burn at her fingertips and she watched with deep regret as the body went up in smoke.  
"He didn't deserve that."  
  
Lucy sat straight up, clutching the sheet to her chest and breathing deeply.  
"Thirsty," she gasped, "Must drink!" she didn't know why after the feeding on that young girl. She walked down to the lake. The sun was high and though it weakened her only slightly, it bothered her. There was something about the way it burned, way up there, that reminded her of her dream. She knelt down by the water and saw Carter's face and screamed. But when she looked again, she saw only her reflection. She cupped her hands and brought the water to her lips.  
"What are you doing Luce?" she spun around but saw no one. She could have sworn it had been Carter's voice. Shaking it off, she decided to go for a walk.  
  
"Dave?" Carter asked, seeing the book in front of his face. Dave said nothing.  
"Dave, is that you?"  
"Huh?" Dave asked, looking up from the book.  
"I never thought I'd see the day that Dave Malucci reads an actual novel!"  
"Hey! It's Dracula! It's a classic!" Dave defended, "I mean, who couldn't read it?"  
"I'm just surprised you understand all the big words!" Carter poured himself some coffee. He left the room, but just before he turned the corner, he heard voices.  
"He won't like it."  
"Yes he will."  
"Fine, then she won't like it."  
"She won't care."  
"Yes she will."  
"OK, but it doesn't matter."  
"Yes it does. She is more powerful than us."  
"Dave is nothing! And it's only a taste! It's not like we're going to kill him!"  
"You cast the curse on him!"  
"That was just for fun!"  
"You don't cast curses for fun."  
"You are always a goody-goody!"  
"I am older than you!"  
"That's what you said when we took Lucy! What does it matter how old you are?"  
"What do they teach you in Ireland?"  
"We're getting off subject."  
"We'll talk about it later..."  
"What the..." Carter started and turned around and headed back to the staff room.  
"Dave," he said.  
"What now?" Dave asked.  
"Remember that poem?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What did you do with it?"  
"Dunno. I thought you had it," Dave answered, "Why?"  
"Nothing," Carter thought. It was just nothing. He didn't know why he was so paranoid. Though he didn't know what those voices had been talking about, he knew it was none of his business. As he left, the smile suddenly disappeared from his face as he remembered the two women has mentioned two names he knew. Lucy and Dave. What did Lucy have to do with this? And Dave! What did they have in store for him? Glancing at his co-worker, engrossed in Dracula, he thought hard. For some reason, what the girls had said seemed to become vaguer and vaguer the more he thought about it. What had they said?  
"Dave is nothing ... But the curse... When we took Lucy..."  
"It's probably someone else," Carter thought, "Dave and Lucy are both common names," but there was something tugging at the back of his mind, something that bothered him. Something he couldn't remember. All the answers were behind a locked door, but Carter had no key. How could he get past that door?  
"Why am I caring about this so much?" he asked himself, "It's none of my business!"  
  
None of his business indeed.  
  
Dave looked up from his book and saw the redhead that had been with him before.  
"Hey Roxanne," he said. She grinned.  
"Dracula?" she asked.  
"Yeah. Braum Stoker's really good at this."  
"He's OK. I mean, he didn't get everything right," Roxanne said, critically. She waved her hand at the door and it slammed shut. Dave didn't seem to notice.  
"So, what are you doing back here? I thought you and Beth had 'work to do.' By the way, where is Beth?" Dave asked.  
"Beth didn't want to play," Roxanne answered, "Our work is finished. For now. We only need one more thing."  
"Really? What's that?"  
"Your friend," Roxanne came closer to Dave and sat down next to him. She seemed to be eyeing his neck.  
"What are you doing?" Dave asked.  
"You would be very powerful," Roxanne whispered.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Maybe more so than Lucy."  
"Lucy?"  
"Look at me Dave," Roxanne told him. He looked her in the eyes, "Yes, you would make a great one of us," she leaned in close to Dave and kissed him, moving slowly down to his neck. She licked his neck and bared her teeth. She sank them into Dave's throat and began to drink with pleasure. Dave slowly fell back onto the couch as the predator fed.  
  
"Whoa!" Dave sat straight up and realized he had fallen asleep on the couch. His book fell off his stomach and he laughed, "Yeah, Dracula, right," he rolled his eyes. He sat up and dusted himself off. He saw his reflection in the window and he found something disturbing. Finding a real mirror, Dave's fingers flew to his neck where two marks had been left.  



	3. Dave's Problem

"Roxanne..." Beth said.  
"What?" Roxanne asked, innocently.   
"You've eaten," Beth shook her head, "Who, Roxie?"  
"No one of importance," Roxanne smiled.  
"Roxie, we have to do it tomorrow night."  
"Why tomorrow night?"  
"Blood on the moon," Beth answered, "Lucy will be at her strongest."  
"And Dave will be at his weakest," Roxanne grinned.  
"Roxanne!" Beth's eyes were wide, "No! The counter-curse! You have to use it!"  
"Why should I?"  
"You can't! The Master will forbid it!"  
"Beth, he will make a powerful vampire!"  
"We are here only for the Chosen One!"  
"What if we were mistaken?" Roxanne asked, "What if Carter isn't the Chosen one after all?"  
"Roxanne, Carter is the Chosen One! Since when has our intuition been wrong?"  
"Come, Beth, we need to go home. We will come back tomorrow," Roxanne took her out.  
"Luka," Kerry said, watching as the young women left, "Who are those two girls? They've been around here a lot lately."  
"Uh, I don't know. I think Dave might know, though, I saw him talking to them," Luka answered.  
"Well, unless they're patients, then-"  
"I got it, Kerry," Luka nodded. Kerry left and Luka saw Dave come out of the lounge with his hand rubbing the side of his neck.  
"Dave!" Luka called and Dave jumped.  
"What?" he sighed, realizing it was Luka.  
"You know those two girls you talk to?"  
"Yeah?" Dave's hand began to move more quickly, rubbing that spot on his neck harder.  
"Who are they?"  
"Beth and Roxanne," Dave answered.  
"Do they have last names?" Luka asked. Dave opened his mouth to reply when he stopped and thought for a second.  
"I don't know," he shrugged. Luka nodded.  
"Is something wrong with your neck, Dave?" Luka asked.  
"My neck is just fine!" Dave replied.  
"If you're sure..." And Luka walked down the hall. Dave looked around and saw Carter wiping his name off the board.  
"Hey Carter!" Dave called, running over to him.  
"Hey Dave," Carter smiled.  
"What was that poem?"  
"Um... Blood on the Moon something..." Carter tried to remember it.  
"Blood on the moon, death in sight," Dave muttered, "Darkness will reign over light."  
"Yeah, that's it," Carter answered, "Why?"  
"What was the other part?"  
"Uh... Destroy something... Malucci his name. Then something about an eternal fire or something," Dave nodded.  
"What time is it?"  
"Seven."  
"Damn," Dave swore. He had two hours to go, "Hey Carter, do you think you could cover for me?" he asked.  
"What?"  
"I have to go find Roxanne."  
"Why?" Carter asked. Dave sighed and took his hand away from his neck.  
"Whoa, Dave, what happened to you?" Carter asked.  
"That's what I intend to find out. Cover for me?"  
"I think I can try," Carter answered.  
"Thanks," Dave said, and he ran out into the rain. He didn't know how, but he had a feeling he knew where Roxanne was. So as the rain cascaded down to the earth below and onto Dave, soaking through his shirt, he ran down the street. Based on instinct alone, he turned down streets and alleys until he came to a small clothing shop. He looked in through the window.  
"I must look pretty pathetic," he said, looking at his wet clothing and staring in through the window. But all his worries about that were forgotten when he saw a familiar redhead looking at a skirt. Running into the shop, he knew he attracted more than a few people's attention. He ran over to Roxanne who turned.  
"Dave," she greeted.  
"Roxanne," Dave said simply, "Could I talk to you?"  
"Certainly," a devilish grin crossed her face.  
"Who are you?"  
"I don't think I know what you're talking about," the grin that stayed in place suggested otherwise.  
"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" he near shouted.  
"Lower you're voice, Dave, people will hear you!" Roxanne warned, "Come," she led him back outside and opened the passenger door to a car, "Ride with me."  
"No," Dave answered, "I'm not going anywhere with you."  
"Pity," Roxanne sighed, "Because I was going to give you a lift back to the hospital. Do you know how far away Cook County is from here?"  
"Yeah, about five minutes," Dave shrugged, "I ran here." But Roxanne shook her head.  
"Maybe. If you're going 60 miles an hour," she told him. Dave gaped. Roxanne was looking at his neck again.  
"What did you do?" Dave demanded. Roxanne leaned in close and whispered in his ear.  
"I gave you what you always wanted," Dave closed his eyes.  
"Roxanne, you are going to tell me-" Dave opened his eyes and stopped. Roxanne was gone. Sighing and soaking wet from the rain, Dave walked back to the hospital.  
"Oh my God!" Randi said when she saw him, "What'd you do, fall in a pool?"  
"I need to change my clothes," Dave said, dully, walking towards the lockers. When he got there, he saw Carter.  
"Hey, Dave, where've you been?" he asked.  
"Nowhere," Dave mumbled.  
"Somebody push you in a pool? Not saying I'd do that, but..."  
"No, Carter, no one pushed me in any pool!" Dave snapped.  
"Whoa, someone's grumpy!"  
"And someone else's irritating," Dave slammed his locker door. He was in a sour mood, mixed up and confused and didn't want to say or explain anything.  
When Dave had dry clothes on, he exited the room and saw Beth there, her face serious.  
"We need to talk," she said, simply.  
"Yes," Dave agreed, "We really do." 


	4. The Chosen One

Chapter Four: The Chosen One  
  
Lucy walked aimlessly throughout the streets and somehow found herself at Cook County General Hospital. She saw a familiar face speaking with another familiar face and coming her way. They hadn't noticed her yet. She hid behind the corner.  
"So you see, Dave, I don't know exactly what's going on, Roxanne does."  
"But I tried talking to her, she told me nothing!"  
"Yeah, she'll leave you hanging. Look, Dave, tomorrow night you will be really weak. You have to stay away from Roxanne, before she can finish."  
"Finish? Finish what?"  
"I can't tell you. Just run away. I will tell her boss and he will stop the change."  
"Change? What change?" Lucy saw the back of Dave and Beth's heads. She stepped out from behind the corner and followed them, silently, making no noise at all.  
"If you let Roxanne finish, you will become something unreal, unnatural... you will become like us."  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because we too have feelings and I..." Beth stopped.  
"What?"  
"She doesn't want to see you change," Lucy made Dave jump. Beth spun around, angrily.  
"Lucy!" she hissed, angrily, "Go home!"  
"Shut up, Beth!" Lucy snapped back, "I can do what I want!"  
"You need your strength!"  
"Lucy?" Dave stared at the blond girl in front of him, disbelieving.  
"Now look what you've done!" Beth screamed.  
"He's going to die anyway!" Lucy protested, "He might as well know what's going on! Lord knows, I didn't!" but instead of answering Lucy, Beth just turned to Dave.  
"I'm really sorry about this Dave," she said, and punched him.  
  
Dave dreamed. Faces and people he both knew and didn't know swam in his unconscious mind. He was thrown into a scene he had never seen before.  
  
Dave was standing in the hallway in County. Amazingly, he saw Lucy.  
"Hey Lucy!" but Lucy didn't answer. She was busy.  
"CARTER!" she screamed.  
"Sorry, Luce!" Carter called back, on his way to Abby's. Lucy turned and found herself face to face with Paul. She let out a little yelp.  
"Come back inside, please," he begged, "It's too bright out here. And cold. It's making my headache worse," Lucy nodded.  
"Lucy!" no one noticed Dave. It was then that Dave thought that maybe he was a silent spectator to a scene that had never been witnessed by anyone other than Paul and Lucy.  
"Where have you been?" Lucy asked.  
"No where," Paul answered.  
"OK," he followed her in.  
"It's awfully dark in here, Paul. Do you-" But Lucy stopped as she felt something on her neck. Two sharp objects puncture the surface of her skin and into her vain. She felt the predator drink. And he drank. And he drank. He drank until the victim had little blood left in her. He then cut open his vain and held it to her lips.  
"Drink," he whispered, holding it to the girl's mouth. Paul walked around and pulled a knife out of his pocket.  
"Should I do it now, master?" he asked.  
"No, wait," the other said, "I must tell her. She must know," he leaned in close to Lucy and whispered something.  
"Now?"  
"Now," there was a sharp scream and everything went black.  
  
"Lucy, wake up," an Irish voice came. As Dave opened his eyes, so did a young, pale blond girl on a bed of silk. Roxanne looked kind, though she usually wasn't that kind. It was a face she used to gain trust. It was a face she had used on Dave.  
"Who are you?" Lucy asked, confused, "Where am I? What happened?"  
"Shh, lassie, one question at a time!" Roxanne told her, "I am Roxanne."  
"Where am I?"  
"You are safe."  
"What happened?" Roxanne paused.  
"What do you remember?"  
"I remember... I remember seeing a patient. Paul Sobriki. Something happened. Something... Bit me. Scared me. I was scared. Then, I... I fainted. When I awoke again, I saw the knife. He... He stabbed me."  
"That much is true," Roxanne vouched.  
"What happened?"  
"Lucy, try your eye sight. What do you see?" Lucy opened her eyes wider and looked around.  
"Everything seems much... Clearer."  
"It should," Roxanne took out a small dog whistle and blew. Dave, of course, heard nothing but Lucy turned her head to Roxanne when she heard it. Roxanne smiled.  
"Your senses have increased in sensitivity. Your muscles are stronger and fine-tuned. You can run like a cheetah for miles. You are now a supreme being, Lucy, a Goddess. Higher than you can imagine. Higher than death itself."  
"What?"  
"How old do you think I am?"  
"I don't know, early twenties?"  
"I am 200 years old," Roxanne told her. Lucy gasped and backed away.  
"Don't be frightened, Lucy."  
"What are you?"  
"I, my dear friend, am a vampire. And so are you."  
"I am not a vampire!" Lucy sounded insulted, "I am a medical student! I help sick people! Sick people like you who think they're a vampire!"  
"Calm down, lass! Trust me, I will do you no harm! Remember the advantages! The hearing the sight the smells the strength!"  
"What are the disadvantages?" Lucy demanded.  
"There are none."  
"What about blood?"  
"You will need it. You will crave it. But you don't live off of it. It is like a sweet, addictive candy, but you can't live without this candy for more than a year, or else, well, you may go insane or die even. You can eat other things."  
"I don't want to be a vampire."  
"In time, you will see the good it does you. Did you know it was a full moon last night? Valentine's day? And did you know there was a shade of red to the edge of it. Blood on the moon. It's when a future vampire is weakest. One must be bitten in advance to the full moon. Then, we will feed again and the one will drink our blood."  
"I thought I was dead."  
"Technically, you are and should be," Roxanne admitted, "Your heart stopped. You died... For a time."  
"Why didn't the knife kill me?"  
"We had to kill your old life. Stabbing is most common. Your flesh heals quickly when you have vampire blood in you. After you die, that is. I was murdered, too, in the early eighteenth century."  
"So you bit me once, bit me again, made me drink blood and stabbed me?" Lucy said incredulously. Roxanne nodded.  
"You'll get used to it," Roxanne shrugged. Lucy stared in disbelief.  
"I... I really am a vampire, aren't I?"  
"Not just any vampire, lass," there was a sparkle in her eye, "You are the Chosen One."  
  
Dave woke up. He was in the staff room again. He had a splitting migraine and held his head in his hands. Carter walked into the room.  
"Hey Dave," he said without looking at him, "How's that scar?"  
"Scar?" Dave looked confused.  
"Yeah. The one on your neck?" Carter pointed at his throat. Dave's fingers flew to the wound and he felt the two holes. He remembered his dream of Roxanne and slowly his encounter with her in the small clothing outlet.  
"Right, my scar," Dave nodded. There was something he was forgetting. Something important. The key to the door that wouldn't open. The truth. But he couldn't find it.  
"Well?"  
"No, nothing really," he answered truthfully. Suddenly, he felt frustrated and swore aloud, "God damn it! I'm so damn tired! Roxanne's keeping her damn mouth shut or beating around the God damned bush about it! She won't tell me a damn thing! Damn her! And besides that, I have a damn headache!" Dave threw his hands up into the air. Taking a bite out of a doughnut, Carter answered with a smile:  
"I don't think you could have said 'damn' any more times in that outburst. Could you even say a sentence without a swearword?" Dave gave him a glare.  
"You're not the one with a scar on his neck!"  
"Ah ha! Success!" Carter declared and began to laugh but it ended in a sharp cough as Dave glowered at him even harder, "Why are you in such a bad mood!"  
"I have one hell of a damn headache!"  
"Awe, Dave, you were doing so well! Why did you have to swear *twice* in that?"  
"Shut up about the swearing, Carter!" Dave fell back down on the couch and groaned. Why did this remind him of something?  
  
//"Lucy Knight, get up now and see Mrs. Kent!"  
"Shut up about the patients, Carter!" Lucy fell back, wearily on the couch, holding her head, "I am having such a..."//  
  
"...Bad day!" Dave's words brought Carter out of his flashback.  
"Huh?" Carter blinked. Was it just him, and his crazy sense of Déjà vu, or did Lucy say the same thing a few days before the accident?  
"I said I'm having such a bad day!"  
"I can understand that. Seriously, though, Dave, those things worry me," nodding at his neck, "You should get them checked out. Are you sure their OK? Because I could-"  
"No, Carter, you can't," Dave interrupted, "I'm fine. Asides from the fact that my head is throbbing in pain, my heart is racing, and-"  
"Do you think you're-"  
"I'M FINE, CARTER!" Dave yelled. Carter was taken aback. He had never seen Dave in such a bad mood.  
"Dave, I don't think-"  
"You're right, you don't think!" Dave snapped, coldly, and left in a hurry. On his way out, he bumped into a blond with sunglasses and a long leather coat and muttered a soft 'sorry.'  
The black coat-clad woman entered the lounge with her head down low. Many strands of hair fell over her face, shading it over the glasses, giving her a mysterious look about her. She pointed at Carter.  
"Sit," she ordered. For some reason, without hesitation or protest, Carter did so. She pulled the collar of her black coat up higher, trying to hide her face.  
"I know two things for sure," she told him in a whisper, "One, you are in trouble. I suggest you stay home tomorrow, all day and night. Lye low during the full moon. Secondly, I know Dr. Malucci's in trouble too. But they've gotten to him already and he only has two options left."  
"What are those options?"  
"That is not of your concern," the woman snapped and Carter shut his mouth, "You must not worry about him. Just stay away from anyone you don't know. Keep in crowded places full of friends. But whatever you do, do not fall asleep!"  
"How can I-"  
"You can't fall asleep!" she repeated.  
"Who are you?"  
"A friend," she whispered, "An old friend." Carter looked over his shoulder and when he turned back, the woman in the long black leather coat was gone.  



	5. The Raven

Chapter 5: The Raven  
  
They met the next morning, just as they had before, Roxanne, Beth, and Lucy standing close together as their Master walked up and down the line.  
"It must be done tonight," he said, "He must die tonight."  
"Why?" all eyes snapped to the vampire that dared to ask such a question. At first, the Master seemed angry that anyone would question his authority. Then, he smiled.  
"Lucy," he sighed, "Such a young vampire. The youngest of us all. Yet, you are the most powerful."  
"More powerful than you?" most of them stared, wide-eyed, at this blasphemous child of the night. But the Master had much patience with this girl, this heretic who defied him.  
"Perhaps one day. When you understand your powers more clearly. There is still much you must learn."  
"You haven't answered my question. Why must it be done tonight?"  
"Blood on the moon. A vampire is always formed on nights like these. If it did not happen, it would be like locking a door without a key. Everyone, even the mortals, would feel something was missing. It makes the night complete."  
"And if we didn't feed, it would be like trick-or-treating without the candy," Roxanne added. The Master shot her a look.  
"Patience, my child, you will have your time."  
"May we feed, Master? Just this one night?"  
"Possibly, if you are a good little girl..." he nodded.  
"Still, why can't we kill someone else?" Lucy persisted. She remembered her dreams, though the face was unclear. Though she was sure it had been Carter she held, burning in her arms.  
"He was supposed to have been changed two years ago, with you," the Master answered, "But thanks to Beth, Roxanne, and Paul, it wasn't possible." Lucy spat.  
"Paul!" she exclaimed, "Paul Sobriki! I despise that name!" even the Master was surprised at this.  
"You despise the name of your sire?"  
"Yes."  
"You are to respect your sire! He is to be looked up to with dignity!"  
"He ripped my life away from me!" Lucy's voice was full of passion, "I was no more than a girl! I could have been a doctor! I could have saved lives!"  
"And now you destroy them," the Master whispered, "Accept it, my child. It is your role in the scheme of things. You are a vampire, the Chosen One. You feed off human blood. You kill when you feel it necessary!"  
"No," Lucy shook her head, "*You* kill when you feel it necessary! *You* feed off human blood!"  
"WRONG CHILD!" he now screamed, "You are one of us! I would have thought you'd accepted this by now! But you are just a naïve, vapid little tramp!" everyone was taken aback. It was the first time he had insulted the Chosen One. The only thing that even he seemed to respect. Even Lucy had to stare.  
"I am not naïve," she scowled, "I am certainly not vapid! Maybe I am a vampire. But I will never be the type of vampire you want me to be!"  
"Without blood, you will go insane! You will lose your strength! You will die!"  
"Then that, dear Master, is my place in the scheme of things. I will die like I was supposed to have died, two years ago!" The Master seized Lucy's shoulders.  
"Child," he said patiently, "I understand that you are young and you may not understand the sacrifices we make to survive. We feed off of humans. We need not kill when we feed, though we have the power to. We do not harm humans in cold blood. They feel week and drowsy after a feeding, but no harm has come to them."  
"Harm can come to them," Lucy pointed out.  
"Only if you drink until you have drunken all their blood. Then, yes, they die of blood loss. We are predators, Lucy, not murderers. We don't kill for sport."  
"What about Dr. Carter?" Lucy asked. The Master sighed.  
"Yes. All right. Dr. Carter will live to see another sunrise."  
"Thank you," Lucy smiled, and walked out. When he heard the door close, the Master grinned. Roxanne knew what that grin meant.  
"You prevaricate well, Master," she complimented him.  
"It is not a prevarication, Roxanne, but a little white lie to keep her from heartbreak. We will sire him tonight, but unfortunately, my strong one is unable to do it."  
"That wasn't the only 'little white lie' you told her," Beth whispered, gravely. She was beginning after two hundred and forty-five years of being a vampire, to question their morals herself. The Master walked over to her and smiled at her.  
"You are clever, Elisabeth of Canterbury, but you sound troubled."  
"Why must we lie to her?" Beth asked, "If she is the powerful Chosen One, why all these lies? Do you wish to overthrow her?"  
"It is to keep her content until she understands what being a vampire means," the Master answered.  
"I'm not sure even I understand what being a vampire means yet!" Beth muttered.  
"I heard that, Elisabeth," the Master narrowed his eyes.  
"Of course," Roxanne nodded, smiling, "We hear everything. We are superior to humans and any other creature on the planet!"  
"Even so, we have no right to exterminate them off the face of the earth! Why must we kill? I've killed thousands in my lifetime, all in cold blood, Master! Don't you remember the blood we spilt in Spain in the 1800s? The women we left without husbands? The children we left without fathers?"  
"That was for protection; the Spanish were after us! They wanted to kill us all! I can not believe you are questioning now, Elisabeth, when you got over it when you were young! By the time you were sixty, you were as merciless as anything I've seen! You've grown timid in the later years."  
"Not timid, just aware. And maybe my conscience is kicking in."  
"Oh, dear Elisabeth or Canterbury, you are a smart vampire. You know what must be done. You know that the second Chosen One must rise tonight! We must kill Dr. Carter tonight!" Beth sighed at her Master's words.  
"Very well. Que sera sera!" she shrugged. The Master smiled.  
"That's the spirit. Whatever will be will be!" and with that, he laughed.  
A small raven had been listening, perched by the window, and with a wave of Beth's hand, he flew away.  
"Yes, Master," she eyed him, coolly, "What will be, will be."  
  
Dave was in the library, sitting at a table bejeweled with old leather books and things. He was concentrating hard on the words in the book he held in his hands now. So much so that he didn't notice the figure standing over him until she spoke.  
"I never thought I'd ever Dave Malucci in a library," Dave jumped at her words and spun around, "Whoa, you're jumpy!"  
"Abby!" he sighed and relaxed, "What are you doing here?"  
"I haven't seen you all day! Why haven't you come in? I- We were worried!"  
"Sorry to worry you," Dave muttered, turning back to his book. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his chest as he found the paragraph he'd been looking for.  
"A-Abby?" he gasped.  
"What is it, Dave?" Abby demanded, concerned, "What's wrong?"  
"Where's Carter?"  
  
A raven settled on the window of Lucy's bedroom with a note tied to its foot. She took off the note.  
  
Take three feathers from this raven and add some lilac petals and azure powder as well as allspice and moonstone. Grind it into a fine mixture and add it to a pool of water. Then, place it in the sunlight. You will see what this bird has seen.  
  
My regards  
A friend  
  
Lucy plucked three ebony feathers from the bird who flew away instantly after. She looked through her cupboards for the azure and lilac. She was nearly out of allspice, but she wasn't worried about that. She had mixed potions like these before. What did this friend want to show her?  
She crushed the ingredients in a small bowl until they were well mixed. She poured the mixture into a bowl of water and saw a few sparkles on the water top like small stars. She brought the concoction out in the sunlight. Something swirled in the water and an image appeared as Lucy saw with horror what had transpired after she had exited. When the scene was finished, she knew what she had to do.  
Gathering a few things in a bag, Lucy set off in search of John Carter. 


	6. The Legend of Emily and Jonathan

Beth sniffed the air. He wasn't there, though he had been. She went up to the librarian.  
"Miss," she smiled sweetly, "My name is Beth. I'm looking for a young man, a doctor, was probably looking at a couple of books... Have you seen him?"  
"Hello, dear, nice to meet you," she held out her hand and Beth took it. The woman's blood was weak and unhealthy. The disease had not yet even began to incubate, but Beth could tell. She could always tell.  
"He might have been here with a girl," Beth added, catching the scent of Abby Lockhart.  
"Well a lot of people come and go in here, but there was a man who had plenty of books on the supernatural sprawled across that table there..."  
"Yes, yes, that's him," Beth nodded, "Did you happen to see where he went?"  
"I'm afraid not. He left with a brown haired young woman in quite a hurry."  
"Do you know the last book he looked at?"  
"I believe it was Vampire Legends by Lisa Callaway..." Beth snorted. "Is something funny?"  
"No, no, not at all," Beth lied. In the seventeenth century, Beth's sire, Lisa, had researched vampires before being bitten herself back in England. She had written and in a later century published her book when it was easier to print. It was almost as a joke, really, because though most of it is true, people would believe it to be fairy tails and such. Though Dave was smart. Dave believed... Or remembered.  
"Thank you, ma'am," Beth nodded and remembered a certain legend in Lisa's book, "Your help is greatly appreciated," and with that, she left. She knew where Dave would be. She knew that he would put two and two together.  
  
"Carter, weren't you taking the day off today?" Mark asked when he saw him pick up another chart.  
"I changed my mind. I mean, what's the point?" Carter asked.  
"Your call," Mark shrugged and turned away from him. Carter sighed and looked at his chart.  
"OK, twenty-five-year-old female, muscle pains..." he muttered.  
  
"Dave, what are we doing?!" Abby demanded as Dave walked briskly down the street.  
"Beth said something about a chosen one. I looked it up. In 998 there was a vampire. She wasn't your everyday vampire. She practiced magic and was one of the few vampires at that time to do so. She became very powerful. Unfortunately, one day, she fell in love."  
"Wait, hold on, vampires?" Abby asked, "OK, Dave, whatever you say."  
"The man she loved was a mortal," Dave continued, ignoring her, "And she found he felt the same way about her. Unfortunately, they could never be. He was the son of a wealthy merchant and he was betrothed. The vampire killed his fiancé. He screamed and couldn't believe what she'd done. She asked him if he would like to become a vampire, the most powerful of all vampires. Reluctantly, he agreed and for two years they ruled as the most powerful vampires in the land. But something went wrong. A crazy mortal suspected something. He blew their cover in a small town and they were staked. But before they were, she cast a spell. A spell that she and her beloved would return, in a new form and new place, in one thousand years. A form that no one would suspect. In a form that one wouldn't believe... Do you know what day that was Abby?" Dave asked.  
"Um... huh?"  
"The Eve of St. Valentine's. They were killed on Valentine's day. In Vampire Belief, a vampire must be sired when there is blood on the moon, ever since that day. Because the blood symbolizes Emily's blood. Emily was the only name they knew her by and her husband was Jonathan."  
"What does this fairy tale have to do with Carter?" Abby asked. Dave stopped dead making Abby run straight into him. He spun around.  
"It is not a fairy tale! Don't you understand? It's happening now! All of this is happening right now! A few nights ago, I could have sworn I saw Lucy. Of course that's impossible because she died. On February 14 2000. Exactly 1000 years after Emily and Jonathan's deaths. And who was stabbed along beside her in that incident? John Carter. But I have a feeling he wasn't supposed to survive. Didn't Lucy and Carter meet in 1998? 1000 years since Jonathan and Emily met? The legend speaks of two Chosen Ones, supposedly Emily and Jonathan reincarnated. 'They will arise from the ashes and be reborn!' It's all right there. I have a feeling that they think it's Carter and Lucy." There was silence for a while.  
"Dave..." Abby whispered.  
"What? I don't care if you don't believe me, I believe myself."  
"First of all, I won't say you've been reading too much Dracula. Secondly... have you noticed how fast you've been walking? You've been acting very strange lately..." Abby squinted at him and saw how clammy and pale he was and gasped. He was shaking.  
"Dave!" she cried, "What's happened to you?"  
"We don't need to worry about that now!" Dave cried, "Carter's going to be bitten!"  
"Congratulations, Dave." The voice made both Dave and Abby jump. They looked around but couldn't see where it came from.  
"I must admit, I didn't think you'd be going through Lisa's old books. I thought you'd just forget. But you don't forget easily, do you? Roxanne underestimated you." There was a whoosh of air as someone jumped off the roof of the store they were by. Abby let out a small shriek of surprise. The girl straightened up and smiled at Abby. She then turned to Dave.  
"We haven't much time. Roxanne's doing it tonight. The Master wanted Lucy to do it, but she wouldn't allow it. She wasn't going to kill one of her friends. But you have to be careful. Roxanne will also be looking for you tonight. She was planning on siring you tonight before the Master even asked her to do the honors of Carter. Quickly!" And with that, Beth turned and sprinted away with Dave on her heals. Abby stood there staring after them for a minute or two, then laughed.  
"Oh I get it! You hired some girl to pretend she was a vampire! Dave? DAVE! COME BACK HERE!" Abby started running after them too, "Carter's not going to like this!"  
  
Carter walked slowly to his room, looking at the chart. Marion Wallace was the woman. About to open the door, he felt someone grab his hand. He looked up and saw a woman in a black coat and sunglasses. The same woman who had talked to him yesterday.  
"You!" he cried, "what are you doing here?"  
"I strongly suggest you don't go in there, Dr. Carter," she whispered. Carter, his senses more aware than they had been that day in the lounge from all the coffee he'd been drinking, squinted at the woman. Something about that voice...  
"You sound familiar..."  
"I should. I'm an old friend of yours but don't puzzle it too much. Get another patient. Give me the chart. Go on. Give me the chart," the woman held out her hand, expectantly. Carter stared at and noticed she was wearing a ring.  
"Where'd you get that ring, Lucy?" he asked.  
"I told you, it was my grandmother's, remember? That time when... wait, what did you call me?" The woman looked up at him, surprised. Carter took off her glasses and found himself looking once more into those bright blue eyes that looked terrified. He smiled.  
"I don't know why," he said, "But I'm not surprised to see you. Can you tell me why?"  
"I cannot," she said, "Because I'm not quite clear on it myself yet. In fact, I'm not quite sure why I'm even here right now. By all accounts, I should be dead. You know it, I know it, the whole country knows it. But unfortunately, thanks to creatures who are unnatural in every sense of the word, I am not dead but I can never be alive again. Carter you listen to me. You have to leave this patient. Your life is in serious danger!"  
"How so?" Carter asked. He sounded skeptical and the look on his face confirmed it. Lucy frowned.  
"You remember me, don't you?"  
"Of course."  
"Do you trust me?" she asked and waited. But there was no answer. She repeated the question, "Do you trust me?" But Carter was hesitating. Lucy sighed.  
"You can't blame me, Lucy, can you? For not trusting you, I mean. You're dead."  
"Then why aren't you surprised to see me?" she asked.  
"Anything could explain this. A dream, a nightmare, a mental illness. Someone could have slipped me some LSD, I don't know! Hell, Lucy, the truth is..." Carter was shaking his head and laughing at himself, "The truth is, you're not real. You don't exist. You're not here. So I'm just going to go in and see my patient and when I come out, you'll go away." Lucy gaped at him as he looked calmly at her.  
"Of course!" Lucy rolled her eyes, "Good sensible Carter will always find an explanation! Ah, here comes the cavalry! Explain that, doctor!" Lucy nodded past Carter and Carter looked over his shoulder to see Dave and Beth running their way with a panting Abby running after them. When all three of them finally got there, Dave noticed how pallid Dave's color was and how he didn't seem to be worried about the fact that he was shaking and sweating. He didn't even seem to notice.  
"Carter, you can't see Roxanne tonight!" Beth cried.  
"I have no intention of doing so!" Carter said.  
"She'll find you. She always does. And if she doesn't, I know the Master will. You don't want to suffer his wrath, he's killed thousands." Carter looked at Beth for a long time. But Beth's eyes were suddenly diverted as were Abby's and Dave's. Abby's jaw could have reached the floor had she been a cartoon character. The shock she was experiencing was evident in the obvious expression on her face. Dave seemed less surprised, though surprised none the less.  
"Lucy!" Beth cried, "What in God's name are you doing here?" she sounded angry. Lucy just held up a hand.  
"Honestly, Elisabeth of Canterbury, I grow weary of you scolding me when I am not wrong!" Lucy imitated the Master. Beth couldn't help but giggle but Lucy frowned, "I'm serious, Beth. I have just as much reason to be here as you do!"  
"So the legends were true..." Dave whispered. Lucy smiled at him.  
"Oh you poor soul! Let's get you a blanket and something warm!"  
"You sound like my mother," Dave grumbled.  
"I'll live to be older than that. And older than you for that matter."  
"You will, won't you. You'll probably outlive everyone in this hospital. It's a lonely life you chose to lead, Lucy. Lonely indeed." At Dave's words, Lucy glowered at him.  
"You think I chose this life?!" she fumed, "I don't want to be what I am any more than you do!" when she realized what she said, she put a hand over her mouth. As quick as lightning, Beth whipped her head around to see Dave's reaction, her brown hair flying as she did so. Dave was looking at Lucy confused.  
"I'm sorry, what..." but he was slowly remembering...  
  
"If you let Roxanne finish, you will become something unreal, unnatural... you will become like us."  
  
As Dave nearly fainted on the spot, Abby was muttering to herself.  
"This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening..."  
"Well what is happening?!" Carter finally screamed. Everyone but Dave, who was still in shock, now looked at Carter.  
"It's about time you knew your history," Beth whispered.  
"You're right, Beth. It's about time the lad learns his history... and his fate!" the voice was that of an Irish woman who stepped out of the exam room, Carter had been about to enter. She was holding a knife and her sharp, ivory teeth were bared as her evil, now unnaturally colored eyes glared at the assembled crowd.  
"I'm afraid there will have to be more than one death tonight." 


End file.
